HR1265 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1265 LRB093 24034 CSA 54263 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, For John Whiteside, the job of newspaperman has never been just a way to earn a living; it has been a way to make a difference in his community, and he has done just that; and

WHEREAS, John has been with The Herald News in Joliet since he graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1971; he joined the newspaper on July 5, 1971 as a beat reporter, city editor, and editorial page editor; his first daily column appeared on July 5, 1981; and

WHEREAS, He has used his column to publicize and inspire several major projects in Will County, including the Law Enforcement Memorial, the Taylor Pirc video camera project, and the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery honor guard unit; in November 2003, the cemetery honored John by creating a special award named after him for its honor guard graduates; and

WHEREAS, He has received more than 150 reporting and writing awards for his stories over the last 34 years; they include awards for investigative reporting, spot news, columns, and feature stories; he was the Suburban Press Club of Chicago's Journalist of the Year in 1979, the NIU Illinois Journalist of the Year in 1981, and was inducted into the Joliet/Will County Project Pride Hall of Pride in 1996; in November 2004, the Joliet Area Historical Museum kicked off a campaign to name its War Heroes Gallery after John to honor the many columns he has written about veterans; and

WHEREAS, John has always looked out for the little person, the person without a voice - he has become their voice; he has always gone beyond the call of duty for his family, his newspaper, his community, and his friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor John Whiteside, the Air Force veteran, the newspaper veteran, and the devoted husband to his wife, Mary Jane, and loving father to his daughter, Shelley; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to John Whiteside as an expression of our admiration and esteem.